| anatomical airway | The volume of the conducting airways from the external environment (at the nose and mouth) down to the level at which inspired gas exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide with pulmonary capillary blood; formerly presumed to extend down to the beginning of alveolar epithelium in the respiratory bronchioles, but more recent evidence indicates that effective gas exchange extends some distance up the thicker-walled conducting airways because of rapid longitudinal mixing. Compare: alveolar dead space, physiologic dead space. Synonym: anatomical airway. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| respiratory airway | That part of the airway where interchange of gases occurs; it includes respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, sacs, and alveoli. (05 Mar 2000) |
| conducting airway | The airway from the nasal cavity to a terminal bronchiole. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous positive airway pressure | A technique of respiratory therapy, in either spontaneously breathing or mechanically ventilated patients, in which airway pressure is maintained above atmospheric pressure throughout the respiratory cycle by pressurization of the ventilatory circuit. (05 Mar 2000) |
| upper airway | The portion of the respiratory tract that extends from the nares or mouth to and including the larynx. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lower airway | The portion of the respiratory tract that extends from the subglottis to and including the terminal bronchioles. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiopulmonary obstructive shock | <cardiology> This term describes a number of conditions that involve a severe disturbance of the cardiopulmonary circuit resulting in shock (inadequate delivery of oxygen to the tissues). Examples include: pulmonary embolism, pericardial tamponade, pneumothorax and constrictive pericarditis. (27 Sep 1997) |
| diffuse obstructive emphysema | The major component of chronic obstructive lung disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| obstructive apnea | Peripheral apnea, apnea either as the result of obstruction of the air passages or inadequate respiratory muscle activity. (05 Mar 2000) |
| obstructive appendicitis | Acute appendicitis due to infection of retained secretion behind an obstruction of the lumen by a fecalith or some other cause, including carcinoma of the caecum. (05 Mar 2000) |
| obstructive dysmenorrhoea | Dysmenorrhoea due to obstruction of discharge of menstrual blood, as in cervical stenosis. Synonym: obstructive dysmenorrhoea. (05 Mar 2000) |
| obstructive hydrocephalus | Hydrocephalus secondary to a block in cerebrospinal fluid flow in the ventricular system or between the ventricular system and spinal canal. Synonym: noncommunicating hydrocephalus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| obstructive jaundice | Jaundice resulting from obstruction to the flow of bile into the duodenum, whether intra-or extrahepatic. Synonym: mechanical jaundice. (05 Mar 2000) |
| obstructive murmur | A murmur caused by narrowing of one of the valvular orifices. (05 Mar 2000) |
| obstructive pneumonia | Infection of lung resulting from obstruction of airway, by narrowing resulting from previous disease process, persistent bronchospasm, thick secretions or by aspiration of a foreign body. (05 Mar 2000) |